Fundamentals of Infrared (IR) Technology
Infrared technology is ubiquitous.
Use cases range from night-vision cameras and remote controls to infrared astronomy, and fiber-optic cables. Other applications include:
- Laser applications
- Epilation
- Tattoo removal
- Blue light therapy
- Light therapy with daylight lamps
- Sunbeds
Infrared technology can be integrated into existing systems to add new technical capabilities. And, as production volumes increase, costs continue to come down, making the technology even more accessible for an even wider range of uses.
In other words, advanced infrared technology is bringing added value to a range of industries.
Infrared (IR) technology has been on important conduit for helping humans learn more about our world.
For example, astronomy would not be as advanced as it today without the use of infrared technology.
Opening space science to the infrared region of the spectrum has contributed greatly to our understanding of many extremely distant objects in the Universe that are visible only in the infrared.
Additionally, infrared technology has allowed space scientists to better understand the process of star formation from the early stages of proto-stars surrounded by opaque envelopes of circumstellar material to the formation of jets and outflows seen in later stages of stellar evolution to the collapse of some of the material to a circumstellar disk around a star.
Also, the technologies used in infrared astronomy have evolved into military and medical applications as well.
Within the electromagnetic spectrum, infrared waves occur at frequencies above those of microwaves and just below those of red visible light, hence the name “infrared.”
Waves of infrared radiation are longer than those of visible light, according to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). IR frequencies range from about 300 gigahertz (GHz) up to about 400 terahertz (THz), and wavelengths are estimated to range between 1,000 micrometers (µm) and 760 nanometers (2.9921 inches), although these values are not definitive, according to NASA.
Analysts predict that the future will feature even more uses for infrared technology, especially in the area of infrared sensors. Many of today’s cutting-edge medical uses of infrared technology will become the standard technology of tomorrow.
Fundamentals of Infrared (IR) Technology Course by Tonex
Fundamentals of Infrared (IR) Technology provides a basic understanding of the physical background and engineering considerations required for the design of IR systems, examining all components and combining them into imaging, sensor and surveillance systems. Participants will learn about state-of-the-art optical systems, lightweight mirrors and adaptive optics, planar-hybrid and Z-technology focal planes, design of a ground-based IR astronomical telescope, laser-radar systems.
Infrared (IR) thermal imaging, thermography, IR detector design, electronics, and computer science. Topics such IR radiation, radiometry, blackbody radiation, emissivity and optical material properties in IR.
Blackbody Radiation and basic laws reveals the quantitative changes of infrared thermal radiation in relation to temperature and wavelength. Concretely speaking, the following four basic laws can be generalized:
- Spectrum distribution law of radiation—Planck’s radiation law
- Movement law of the radiation spectrum—Wien’s displacement law
- Law of change of radiation power with changing temperature—Stefan–Boltzmann law
- Spatial distribution law of radiation—Lambert’s cosine law.
Target Audience:
The intended audience for this training are professionals who want to know more about Infrared technology and system. Engineers, scientists, testers, system engineers and managers interested in procedures, methods, applications and techniques associated with infrared , sensor system analysis design, testing, evaluation and analysis.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of Infrared Training Crash Course, the attendees will:
- Learn the underlying principles behind Infrared and associated technologies
- Learn basics of electro-optic and Infrared sensors and the theory of operation
- Explain the basis and operation of Infrared based sensor systems and their data processors
- Explore the importance of Infrared technology and system applications
- Review and list the underlying principles of Infrared systems
- List the major components and technologies of Infrared sensor systems.
- Explain basics of Infrared sensor modeling, simulation, testing and evaluation processes
- Derive requirements for Infrared system models, ISR applications, Infrared Sensors, weapons, Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems and data fusion
- List major system design and performance parameters and issues
- Explain the verification and validation process for sensors, applications and data processors
- Evaluate and select the best Infrared sensor solutions for any given operational scenario
- List the key impact of environmental processes affecting Infrared system operation
- Explain technology and operational trends in Infrared systems
- Appreciate the likely future advances in the Infrared technologies
Course Modules
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
- Microwave, Infrared, Visible Light, X-Ray and UV
- The Difference Between Infrared, Visible Light and UV
- Infrared (IR) Radiation
- The Wave Equation
- Laws of Radiation
Infrared Bands
- Division name
- Wavelength Ranges
- Near-infrared
- Short Wavelength Infrared (SWIR)
- Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR)
- Long Wavelength Infrared (LWIR).
- Far Infrared
Electro-optical Sensor Types
- Photoconductive devices
- Photovoltaics,
- Photodiodes
- Phototransistors
- Optical Switches
Infrared Applications and Use Cases
- Infrared Sensing
- Infrared Detection
- Thermal Imaging
- Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Systems
- infrared (IR) systems (e.g., forward-looking infrared [FLIR], IR line scanners)
Physics behind Infrared Sensors
- Planck’s radiation law: Every object at a temperature T not equal to 0 K emits radiation
- Stephan Boltzmann Law: The total energy emitted at all wavelengths by a black body is related to the absolute temperature
- Wein’s Displacement Law: Objects of different temperature emit spectra that peak at different wavelengths
- Quantum Mechanics
- Blackbody Radiation
- Photoelectric Effect
Infrared Theory of Operation
- Key concepts behind infrared
- Infrared vs. Light vs. Microwave
- Infrared Radiometry
- Principles behind Infrared sources
- Atmospherics effect
- Fundamentals of Optics
- Detectors and focal planes
- Starers versus scanners
- Thermal images
- Infrared signal processing
Infrared Systems Survey
- Infrared Systems
- Infrared Sensor and System Engineering and High-Level Design/Architecture
- Infrared Sensor ConOps, Requirements, and System Design Principals
- Infrared Sensor Evaluation
- Infrared Testing
Infrared Simulation and Modelling
- Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) collection systems
- Multi-sensor, multi-mode systems
- Electro-Optical (EO) Full-Motion Video (FMV)
- Infrared (IR) FMV
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
- Hyper-Spectral Imaging (HSI) sensors,
- Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Electronics Intelligence (ELINT) sensors
- EO/IR Signal Processing
- Non-Imaging EO/IR Capabilities
- IR Detectors (Compare)
- Link budget (equivalent radar range equation, target size, detection range, RCS)
- Optical Detectors (Lens, IFOV)
Fundamentals of Infrared Technology